Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa
For me, Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa is the perfect mix of hearty and healthy. It’s a meatless dish that still feels filling, thanks to the sweet potatoes, black beans, and protein-packed quinoa. I love this recipe because it’s quick to make, full of bold flavors, and ideal for feeding a crowd or meal-prepping for the week. It’s also ready in no time, which means dinner is no-fuss!

I’m normally a meat eater, but this vegetarian chili is so packed with hearty goodness that I never miss the meat! It’s affordable, easy, and best of all, it has so much flavor. It tastes like it’s been cooking all day on the stove.
For the best results, don’t cut your sweet potatoes too big. I go for ½-inch dice which means they’ll cook in about 15-20 minutes but won’t go mushy. They also fit perfectly on a spoon.
The quinoa will absorb a lot of the liquid from this vegan chili recipe, so you may want to add a splash more. You could substitute brown rice, but I’d par cook it first (to about halfway done) because brown rice takes longer to cook than quinoa and your sweet potatoes might get mushy.

Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Large sweet potato – Peeled and diced.
- Yellow onion – Diced.
- Garlic – Roughly chopped.
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Chipotle powder
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable broth
- Canned black beans – Rinsed and drained.
- Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Dried quinoa
- Corn niblets
- Lime juice

Optional garnishes:
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Crema
- Grated cheese
How To Make Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa
- Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and warm it over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced sweet potato and chopped onion to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in the chopped garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, and salt. Mix well to evenly coat the vegetables with the spices. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and quinoa to the pot. Stir everything together to combine.
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chili simmer for 20–30 minutes. Check occasionally, stirring to ensure the quinoa cooks evenly. The chili is ready when the quinoa is tender, the sweet potatoes are soft, and the mixture has thickened. Add more vegetable broth if you desire a thinner chili.
- Stir in the corn niblets and let the chili simmer for another 2–3 minutes to heat the corn through.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed.
- Ladle the chili into bowls and top with your favorite garnishes like avocado slices, chopped cilantro, a dollop of crema, or shredded cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!
Step-By-Step Process









Chef Jenn’s Tips
- For faster cooking, dice the sweet potatoes into small, uniform pieces so they soften evenly.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly before adding it to remove its natural bitter coating.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
- If you like extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or diced jalapeño to the chili.
- For added texture, include diced red bell pepper or zucchini along with the sweet potatoes.
- This recipe works well with canned corn, but fresh or frozen corn will add a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Add more vegetable broth if you like your chili a bit soupier.
Recommended
Make It A Meal
Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa is satisfying on its own, but you can round out the meal with a side of warm cornbread or tortilla chips. I also love it with a hunk of crusty bread for mopping up all the delicious sauce. Or, serve it alongside a simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette.

Storage
This chili is perfect for meal prep and reheats beautifully. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. To freeze, portion the chili into individual servings and freeze for up to three months. When reheating, add a splash of vegetable broth or water to loosen the consistency if needed.

Sweet Potato Chili with Quinoa
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 – 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounce canned black beans 1; rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounce canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1
- ½ cup dried quinoa
- 1 cup corn niblets
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Optional garnishes
- avocado
- cilantro
- crema
- grated cheese
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and warm it over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced sweet potato and chopped onion to the pot. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in the chopped garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, and salt. Mix well to evenly coat the vegetables with the spices. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and quinoa to the pot. Stir everything together to combine.
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the quinoa from sticking to the bottom.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chili simmer for 20–30 minutes. Check occasionally, stirring to ensure the quinoa cooks evenly. The chili is ready when the quinoa is tender, the sweet potatoes are soft, and the mixture has thickened. Add more vegetable broth if you desire a thinner chili.
- Stir in the corn niblets and let the chili simmer for another 2–3 minutes to heat the corn through.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed.
- Ladle the chili into bowls and top with your favorite garnishes like avocado slices, chopped cilantro, a dollop of crema, or shredded cheese. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- For faster cooking, dice the sweet potatoes into small, uniform pieces so they soften evenly.
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly before adding it to remove its natural bitter coating.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes for an extra layer of smoky flavor.
- If you like extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or diced jalapeño to the chili.
- For added texture, include diced red bell pepper or zucchini along with the sweet potatoes.
- This recipe works well with canned corn, but fresh or frozen corn will add a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Add more vegetable broth if you like your chili a bit soupier.